From Sims to Wordle: How Jonathan Knight (NYT Games) Hires for Leadership Potential & Builds Creative Cultures That Win

Leadership at scale demands clarity, consistency, and care. In this episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, host Gerard Miles sits down with Jonathan Knight, Head of Games at The New York Times, to explore what it takes to lead creative teams, build high-performing cultures, and make thoughtful hiring decisions in fast-moving industries. From his early years at EA and Zynga to shaping the global success of NYT Games and Wordle, Jonathan shares practical insights on leadership communication, organisational alignment, and future-focused hiring. He explains how repeating a clear vision turns strategy into shared language, why every company needs to reframe “politics” as collaboration, and how to hire for what candidates will do, not just what they’ve done. For executives shaping teams or careers, this conversation offers a grounded guide to strategic leadership, team culture, and authentic growth inside complex organisations.